Emilia Clarke considers the life-threatening brain haemorrhage she had at 24 to be ‘a good thing’

Emilia Clarke has revealed she now considered the life-threatening brain haemorrhage she had at 24 to be ‘a good thing’.

The actress, 33, suffered a stroke in 2011, a subarachnoid haemorrhage caused by bleeding into the space around her brain, and at the time was completely unaware.

The haemorrhage occurred just after Emilia had finished filming the first series of Game of Thrones, where she starred as Daenerys Targaryen, and the star told The Observer gave her a ‘perspective’ on things she would not otherwise have. 

Interview: Emilia Clarke, 33, has revealed she now considered the life-threatening brain haemorrhage she had at 24 to be ‘a good thing’

She said: ‘I definitely think it’s a good thing. Having a brain hemorrhage that coincided precisely with the beginning of my career and the beginning of a show that became something quite meaty, it gave me a perspective that I wouldn’t have otherwise. 

‘I’m quite a resilient human being, so a parent dying and brain hemorrhages coinciding with success and people following you in the street and getting stalkers – you’re just like, “Well, let’s try and make something sensible of it.” ‘

Emilia also told how she reflected on her years on the fantasy series when it wrapped its eighth series this year.  

The Last Christmas star founded the charity SameYou, which provides treatment for people recovering from stroke and brain injuries.  

Keath: Emilia suffered a stroke in 2011, a subarachnoid haemorrhage caused by bleeding in the space around her brain (pictured in November 2019)

Keath: Emilia suffered a stroke in 2011, a subarachnoid haemorrhage caused by bleeding in the space around her brain (pictured in November 2019) 

Emilia kept the stroke a secret for years and admitted filming the second series of Game of Thrones was particularly difficult.

Writing about it in the New Yorker, she said: ‘On the set, I didn’t miss a beat, but I struggled. Season two would be my worst. 

‘I didn’t know what Daenerys was doing. If I am truly being honest, every minute if every day I thought I was going to die.’

Having filmed a movie on all of her hiatuses from the show, the TV star decided to take a well-earned break. 

She said: 'Having a brain haemorrhage that coincided precisely with the beginning of my career... it gave me a perspective that I wouldn't have otherwise' (pictured in November 2019)

She said: ‘Having a brain haemorrhage that coincided precisely with the beginning of my career… it gave me a perspective that I wouldn’t have otherwise’ (pictured in November 2019) 

She said: ‘After did the last premiere for the last season, it felt suddenly like I lost all of the bones in my body… I’d never wanted to look around and see what we had, because I was convinced it was just going to blow up in our faces.’ 

In her interview with The Observer, Emily also discussed the death of her father in 2016 from cancer.

The actress said the world became a scarier place after his passing but she also felt that the experience of losing a parent made her grow up, adding she had been clinging onto ‘that child-like optimism’.

Emilia’s latest project is the film Last Christmas which she stars in alongside Henry Golding and Emma Thompson.

Good cause: The Last Christmas star founded the charity SameYou, which provides treatment for people recovering from stroke and brain injuries (pictured in 2019)

Good cause: The Last Christmas star founded the charity SameYou, which provides treatment for people recovering from stroke and brain injuries (pictured in 2019) 

The film, which is inspired by the songs of George Michael and Wham!, sees Kate (Emilia) struggle with life after she’s made homeless while also working a dead-end job in a year-round Christmas store.

After meeting the mysterious Tom (Henry Golding), Kate begins to find herself again and learns how to be a better, more understanding person as she starts to focus on the bright future ahead of her.

Of her own wishes for 2020, Emilia told heat magazine: ‘I want to do a lot. I want to celebrate life, drink, be happy – every day of the year.

‘Maybe even do some bungee jumping! Or maybe not… I look forward to everything I have planned and I would just like to enjoy my time.’

Film: Emilia's latest project is the film Last Christmas which she stars in alongside Henry Golding and Emma Thompson (pictured in October 2019)

Film: Emilia’s latest project is the film Last Christmas which she stars in alongside Henry Golding and Emma Thompson (pictured in October 2019) 

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